St Patrick Looking After The Irish – Local Tourism Increases
There were huge crowds gathering outside Guinness’s Storehouse today as the anticipation for the St Patrick’s Day Festival continues to grow. Lines of tourists stretched down Robert’s Street to the top of Echlin Street waiting to be admitted to the home of the “Black Stuff”. One tourist from Illinois eagerly awaiting admission had this to say “believe it or not where I come from this almost like Big Ben! My cousin kept saying ‘Martha go see Guinness’, you’ve got to bring me back a pint glass’, our cups are smaller, you get more in the Irish ones!” .
While another man from Spain stated “we’ve been waiting for 15 minutes now, it’s a little chilly but we’ve had a great time so far, Dublin people are very funny”. The local horse trade has picked up a little but most we’re travelling by bus today, to the upset of one jarvey, “I think it’s a bit cold for some of them to get in the carriages, now believe it or not it hasn’t been great takings today but it was pretty good at the weekend, particularly, Friday with the sun out, there’s no better way to see Dublin, then in a buggy with a good mare at the front!”.
Similar queues were witnessed outside Kilmainham Gaol, which is a little more restricted in it’s capacity. This soon will be remedied somewhat with the addition of Kilmainham Courthouse to the complex to coincide with the Centenary of the Rising.
All told, the festival should do very well for local tourism and hopefully, in the future with new developments such as the Alltech, New Irish Whiskey and Teelings distilleries and the Iveagh Market, there will be greater retention of tourists. This, of course, will make all the difference, though Guinness is a great attraction, more will be needed in the Liberties area to insure a visit to the Liberties is a day out and not just a stop off on the way to the Gaol. Still though, great news and thanks St Patrick!
